


What is a Legacy?

by pennysparrow



Series: Batgirl & Robin Week 2017 [7]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic), DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Hamilton References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 21:12:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11654823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: Babs is listening to Hamilton when the lyrics make her think, and maybe cry a little, and Dick tries to find out what's wrong.





	What is a Legacy?

**Author's Note:**

> The last day of Batgirl & Robin Week: Legacy! So there's Hamiliton references but you can know nothing about it and still be able to read this fic.

Babs whole heartedly blamed Harper. Jason and Stephanie may sing showtunes the most but Harper was the one who was the true theater nerd and would always get the other two into a new show. Now, after a year and a half, she’d finally gotten all of Gotham’s vigilantes obsessed with _Hamilton_. Babs could finally stop her tears from welling up when Eliza started singing in Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story – although she would still sometimes ugly cry at the part about the orphanage – and as such decided listening to the soundtrack while she monitored everyone’s patrols would make for an enjoyable night. When the night got longer though and the only activities included changing an ice cream truck’s tire and finding a lost dog Babs realized how bad an idea it was. As soon as Lin Manuel-Miranda said “What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see” Babs lost it.

She tried, and did a pretty darn good job of it, to keep the others from hearing her cry over the comms. Dick noticed it though, he knew her too well. She heard the tone as it flashed across the screen that he had opened a private line. “Hey O? Is uh, is everything ok?” He asked softly.

Barbara grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk, using it to dab at the corners of her eyes. “Yeah Nightwing. Wh-why’d you ask?”

She found his GPS pinging near St. Mary’s Park in Fort Clinton. With deft fingers and practiced precision, she pulled up the live footage of him perched on a water tower from a nearby security camera. He leaned back onto his hands, settling into his chosen seat. “Well I definitely recognized The World Was Wide Enough playing in the background and I thought that I heard some sniffling.”

“What? No. You’re just losing your touch Detective Wonder,” she scoffed.

On the screen Dick looked directly at the camera, directly at her. “Babs, you know you can be honest with me. What’s up?”

Babs pursed her lips and then worried her lower lip, watching Dick give her his “I’ll wait” look. She took a deep breath in through her nose and pushed it out in a rush through her mouth. “Ok,” she nodded even though he couldn’t see. “I might have started crying a little.”

“About what? What’s wrong?” he was genuinely concerned that she was upset. The stupid big-hearted turd.

“It’s so dumb. You’re going to think it’s so dumb,” Babs rubbed her temple, letting some dry humor creep into her voice.

He tilted his head and gave her a lopsided grin. “Oh really? Try me.”

“You know the part after Burr shoots Hamilton? And he’s about to actually get shot? Where Hamilton talks about having a legacy?”

“Yeah…?”

“Well it got me thinking about, well, about our legacies actually. How we’re lucky to be able to see them. How Jay and Cass and Steph and Damian managed to come back. I realized how lucky we are to be able to see how being Robin and Batgirl has helped them and Tim and all.”

“Babs,” Dick started slowly. “That’s… well crap. That’s some heavy stuff.” He scrubbed a gloved hand through his hair before dragging it back down his masked face. He gave a slight chuckle as he started to speak again. “Dammit. Now I feel like I’m gonna cry.”

Barbara began chuckling too and soon they were both laughing as the soundtrack started over. She scanned the screens quickly, ensuring that all of her charges were safe and in no need of divine intervention via Oracle’s deus ex machina. Steph and Damian were taking pictures of and with a mama duck and her babies down by the docks. Cass had found Tim and she and Harper were terrorizing him with some confiscated paintball guns in Robinson Park. Bruce was with Duke, chatting with her father on the roof of GCPD and both men were commenting on how peaceful the city was tonight. Kate and Luke were on their way to meet up with Basil and Jean-Paul who had found another lost pet. Jason was in the East End smirking at Selina as Helena laughed at Catwoman being sassed to high heaven.

She finally turned her attention back to Dick, waiting patiently on his water tower to continue their conversation. “It’s just… I never thought that there’d be another Batgirl or Robin after you and I. Now? I... I can’t imagine it otherwise. Cass and Steph, heck even Helena and Charlie if you want to count them, have gained so much from being Batgirl. And the boys and Steph? As Robin they were given chances to start over and they’ve all grown so much because of it.”

“I know. I never really thought I’d stop being Robin and at first I really wasn’t happy about Jason being Robin,” Dick gave a slow smile as he shook his head. “And even though I sometimes wish he’d never been Robin, because of what happened, I’m still glad he was. And Tim? Timmy boy. He’s too smart for his own good and he’s always just wanted to help. Robin gave him the ability to do that and even with all the loss he’s faced in the role I can only imagine what might have happened had he been just regular old Tim during it.”

Barbara smirked. “I’ve always told you that boy was one missed cup of coffee away from super villainy.”

Dick laughed as he nodded. “It really shouldn’t be funny cause it’s true,” he sighed, tilting his head back to look at the stars. “Steph was a good Robin and I honestly wish she would’ve had the chance to be a great one.”

“Well she’s currently a fantastic Batgirl so I’m going to keep her. No givesies backsies.” Barbara smiled, wide and genuine.

“I know better than to fight you on that,” he glanced back at the camera with a grin. “Damian, oh Damian,” Dick said with a sigh. “He was for sure a menace-”

“Ha, you can say that again.”

Dick rolled his eyes, turning it into an overexaggerated full-body motion. “As I was _saying_ ; he was a menace but was able to find a release for his anger and a new direction. I’m really proud of the kid.”

“Are you tearing up there Pixie Boots? Talking about your kiddo?”

“Hey, you got defensive about your kiddo so…”

Babs snorted as she nodded. “Ok, ok. Fair enough. But do you see what I’m saying? Cass needed a new direction too, something to use her training and to still keep that big heart of hers intact. She’s helped so many people and saved so many lives and she’s repaid the debt of that awful thing Cain made her do tenfold.”

“I love Cass. I honestly don’t know what my life would be without her and her cool head and subtle mischief,” Dick gave a soft smile. He truly did love his little sister and it showed in his facial expression, even with his blue eyes hidden.

“And Steph my firework. She’s got so much energy and just _brightness_ that it’s startling sometimes. She puts everything she has into every single thing she does and I’m so proud of her. Of both of them. Of all my girls.”

“You should be, Babs. You run a tight ship and a great team. I’m glad you were my Batgirl.”

“Dick, you’re the glue of this crazy messy family and your even crazier messier teams. Even when you explode you’re the first one back to pick up the pieces. I’m glad you were my Robin.”

She watched as a bit of color rose to his cheeks. “Why don’t we call it a night? Nothing’s happening, we’re both turning into sentimental old saps, we might as well. I’ll pick you up a Cookie Monster sundae from that place on Front Street? What d’you say Babs?”

“I say hurry up Boy Wonder.”


End file.
